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US 6,822,105 B1Granted
Method of making alkyl esters using glycerin
AssigneeStepan Company
InventorsFranz J. Luxem, Jenifer Heydinger Galante, William M. Troy, Randall R. Bernhardt
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Abstract
A method for making alkylesters, or methylester specifically, such as biodiesel, from an oil source is described. The method involves converting the free fatty acids of the oil source into a mixture of mono-, di-, and tri-glycerides and subsequently transesterifying the newly formed glycerides as well as the originally present glycerides into fatty acid alkyl esters.
Claims18
A method of making an alkylester comprising the following steps:
- providing an oil source, the oil source including free fatty acids and/or glycerides;
- providing a glycerol source of at least 0.3 equivalent;
- contacting the glycerol source and oil source for a sufficient time for effective conversion of the free fatty acids and glycerides into a mixture of mono-, di-, and tri-glycerides;
- providing methanol in an excess between about 1.0 equivalents to about 3 equivalents;
- reacting the mixture of glycerides with the methanol for an effective conversion of glycerides into fatty acid alkyl esters;
- recovering the fatty acid alkyl esters.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.